


Aftershock

by MissAdoration



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Red Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5697412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissAdoration/pseuds/MissAdoration
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate scene of Natasha's reaction to her vision from Scarlet Witch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftershock

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after Natasha has her vision in Age of Ultron. This is very, and I mean VERY different from the scene that happened in the movie. The italics area frlashback

 Something was wrong. He could see it in her eyes the minute he nearly tripped over her fallen body on the stairs.

"Oh my gosh," he gasped to himself as he got down beside her. Very carefully, he helped her sit up as he studied her frightened face. It had been drained of its color. Her eyes were open, but they looked very similar to the way his looked when he was under Loki's control. The difference, hers weren't blue. Thank God. He couldn't deal with that again. He hoped that this kind of mind control wasn't as bad at that.

"Nat, look at me," Clint said as he took her face in his hands. He could feel her shaking.

"Nat, can you hear me?" Clint said again. Natasha could hear him, but she couldn't make out his face. She was shaking all over.

"Natasha, I could really use a lullaby," another voice said. That voice she recognized. It was Tony.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Uh, that's not gonna happen. Not for a while," the voice in front of her answered. Finally she realized who it was. It was Clint, and he was putting her arm around his shoulder and helping her stand up.

"Clint," she moaned.

"Shh. Just take it easy. I got you," he soothed as he led her out of the compound.

"The whole team's down. I've got no backup here," Clint said into the comms. He then switched his off to focus on his partner.

Upon reaching the jet, he settled Natasha in one of the seats.

She was shaking heavily.

"Nat, look at me," Clint said again as he cupped her face. She did look at him, but she was still in a trance.

"What happened?" she asked.

"That's what you need to tell me. What did she show you?"

Visions flooded Natasha's mind. Visions of her as a ballet dancer, shooting two different guns at a target, and being strangled by a man. However that wasn't the worse of what she had seen. The worse of what she had seen was of her being forced to lay on a hospital bed and wheeled into an examination room to be sterilized.

_"_ _We'll celebrate after the graduation ceremony," a voice said to her._

_"_ _What if I fail?"_

_"_ _You'll never fail."_

Natasha closed her eyes and shuddered. Clint immediately wrapped his arms around her.

Her shaking was even worse from before.

* * *

About a half hour later, all of the Avengers were gathered on the jet. Thor, Steve, and Bruce all were shook up from what had happened, but not as much as Natasha was. She was still shaking when Clint left her to fly the jet. She wanted him to hold her and help her through this. She would've asked Steve, but he too was lost in his own visions.

Tony was communicating with Maria Hill, who was back at the tower reading all of the news reports.

"So run and hide?" he asked.

"Until we can find Ultron. I have nothing else to offer," Maria responded.

"Neither do we," Tony answered. He then turned off the screen and went to the front of the jet.

"Hey you wanna switch out?" he asked Clint, who looked relaxed.

"No, I'm good," Clint answered.

"Clint," Natasha spoke. It wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.

"On second thought, yes," he said as he stood up. "The coordinates are set. We're still a few hours out."

"Few hours? From where?" Tony asked.

"Safe house."

While Tony piloted the jet, Clint went over to Natasha, who was still shaking. He knelt down in front of her and again cupped her face.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Home."

He knew he could say that to her because she knew what he meant. Whenever they needed to go off-grid or recover from a long and exhausting mission, this was the place where they would go.

* * *

Tony landed the jet behind a few trees and powered it down. Natasha had fallen asleep, resting her head on Clint's shoulder. She awoke when Clint helped her to her feet to walk her out and across the field. A small smile appeared on her face when she realized where Clint had taken everyone. He had taken them to his farmhouse.

"What is this place?" Thor asked to Tony.

"Safe house," he responded.

"Let's hope," Clint chimed in as he opened the door. His arm was still around Natasha's shoulder, comforting her.

They all went inside. They had no idea who would be waiting for them. Meanwhile, Clint settled Natasha onto the couch. She immediately grabbed his hand when he stood up to walk away.

"It's OK. I'll be right back," he soothed as he squeezed her hand. He then kissed her on the head and walked away, his hand slipping out of hers.

"Honey, I'm home!" Clint shouted.

Seconds later, a woman with brown hair walked into the room. Everyone stared in shock. Clint however was relaxed.

"Hi. Company. Sorry I didn't call ahead," Clint said as he walked toward the woman.

"Hey," she said giving him a kiss. Tony made a comment, but no one heard it. They were all trying to figure out who this mystery woman was. Meanwhile, Natasha continued to sit on the couch and wait. She knew where she was and who Clint was talking to, but she was still shaken.

"Gentlemen, this is Laura," Clint said as he faced his team.

"I know all of your names," Laura said smiling. The team just stared at her. "Clint was married?" Tony thought to himself as he gave a small wave. Within seconds, the sound of feet running through the house could be heard.

"Oo, incoming," Clint said as he walked toward the noise. He knew what it was. It was his two kids, Lila and Cooper.

"Daddy!" the little girl said as Clint picked her up.

"Hi, sweetheart. Hey, buddy. How ya guys doing?" he said as he pulled the boy closer.

"These are. Smaller agents," Tony said to himself.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" the little girl asked. Clint looked over to the couch. Natasha had fallen asleep.

"You know what little one. Auntie Nat had a really rough day today. I think we should let her sleep for a while," Clint said.

"Is she sick?"

"No, she's just tired," Clint answered.

"OK, Daddy," the little girl said. She gave her daddy one more hug and then went to her room to play. Meanwhile, Clint went over to Natasha and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Natasha shuddered and threw her eyes open when she felt the hand. She had been resting peacefully to the sounds of Clint's children and was not too pleased about being woken up from a dreamless sleep.

"Easy, Nat. It's OK," Clint soothed.

"Sorry." she responded as she sat up. Clint then helped her to her feet and led her upstairs to the room that she always stayed in whenever he brought her here.

"Get some rest," he said as he pulled a blanket over her shoulders. He could feel her shaking again, but it wasn't like earlier. "Shh. I'm right here."

Natasha instantly fell back asleep. Clint stayed by her for a few minutes to make sure that she was alright.

As he watched her sleep, he pondered on where the rest of the team would sleep for the night. Somewhere in the craziness of seeing his kids, Thor had taken off, so that left Tony, Bruce, and Steve. He couldn't put any of them with Natasha, she needed to be by herself, or with him. That is if Laura was OK with it.

With no ideas for sleeping arrangements and Natasha resting peacefully in a place that was familiar to her, he quietly left the room and headed downstairs.

* * *

Everyone was outside, except for Laura. She was in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast.

"Miss me?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Mmm, yes," she answered.

"I missed you too," he said kissing her on the head. She then left his arms and turned to face him.

"So your team. If they're going to be sleeping here. Some are going to have to double up."

"Yeah that's not going to sell," Clint said laughing.

"Well do you have any ideas, Hawkeye?"

"Eh, not really," he shrugged. Laura smiled. Her look changed when she saw the expression on Clint's face.

Something was wrong.

He wouldn't come home without calling.

"It's bad. Right? Nat seemed really shaken," she whispered.

"Ultron has these allies. Kids. They carry a big stick. Nat took a serious hit," he answered looking into her eyes.

"If you have to stay with her tonight, I understand," Laura said.

"Thank you. I might have to anyway." All of a sudden, a scream could be heard from upstairs. Clint immediately ran up.

His gut instinct told him it was Natasha.

* * *

Sure enough, it was. She was thrashing in the bed.

"Nat," he soothed as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She quickly pulled away. She was still trapped in the dream.

"Nat," he said again, this time shaking her awake.

She finally turned back toward him. Her eyes were open, but she was still trapped in the dream. She looked the same way she did when he first found her after she had her vision.

"Nat. It's OK. It was just a dream. It's OK. You're safe here. We're home," Clint said as he helped her sit up. She was still breathing heavily. "Easy," he whispered. "You're alright."

Natasha couldn't stop shaking. She was having the same vision that she had earlier on the jet. However the part that played over and over again was of her being sterilized.

_She had been forced on the bed. A hand was covering her face. When they reached their destination, the doctor wasted no time in beginning the procedure. All she could do was lay there as they continued to touch her._

_"_ _The ceremony is necessary. For you to take your place in the world," a voice spoke._

_"_ _I have no place in the world._

_"_ _Exactly."_

"Natasha. Can you look at me?" Clint said as he cupped her face. Tears were running down her cheeks.

She was frightened.

"Hold me," she whimpered. Clint wrapped his arms around her and held her tight as she sobbed into his chest.

"Shh. It's OK. It was just a dream. I'm right here. I'm not leaving you," Clint soothed.

"It hurt so bad! I felt like my body was on fire1 I was only a little girl!" she sobbed. Clint knew exactly what she was talking about. She had told him long ago that when she was under the Red Room, they have a graduation ceremony and they sterilized her so that nothing would matter more than a mission.

"Nat, it was just a dream. She just got into your head and played with your mind. No one hurt you," Clint soothed.

"They said they would sedate me so I wouldn't feel anything, but I did. I did feel everything!" she cried. Clint continued to hold her close to his chest.

"Nat, the demons from your past don't matter anymore," he said into her hair.

She was still shaking heavily. 

"I'll help you see the light again. I promise," he soothed as he kissed her head. 

Eventually, she calmed down. Sweat and tears still stained her face, but her breathing had slowed down.

"Hey, there's someone that's been wanting to give you a hug since you got here. Do you want to see her?" Clint asked. Natasha nodded. He then stepped out of the room to go and find Lila.

* * *

Clint returned to find Natasha sitting on the edge of the bed with her head down .Was she lost in a nightmare again? He hoped not. Lila was too young to know about this.

"Nat?" he called quietly. Natasha lifted her head focused her eyes on Clint. "Someone's here to see you."

"Auntie Nat!" the little girl said as she ran toward her.

"Hey, malyutka," she said as she lifted the little girl up in her arms.

In the distance, Clint smiled. Maybe he should've allowed Lila to see her earlier because now, Natasha was back to her normal self. She was smiling, and there was no trace of fear in her eyes at all.

Lila had snapped her back to reality.

"Where's my hug?" Clint teased. Natasha and Lila looked at him.

"I already gave you one, Daddy," she said laughing.

"Well I want another one," Clint said. Natasha set Lila down on the ground and she ran toward Clint, who picked her up and held her. She wrapped her arms around his heck tight enough to choke him.

"I love you sweetie," he said.

"Love you too, Daddy," she responded. He then set her down and turned back to Natasha while Lila ran out of the room.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes.

"Good, cause I was getting worried about you," he said as he walked toward her. She then fell into his arms for one more hug.

"Thank you, Clint. Thank you for bringing me here. I needed this."

"You're welcome."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to get myself cleaned up," she teased.

"Take your time. I'll make you something to eat," he said as he kissed her head. She then left his arms and headed into the bathroom inside the room. He himself went downstairs to fix her some food and coffee since he knew that she always liked that when she woke up, whether it was from a nightmare, a nap, or after a long and exhausting mission.

**Author's Note:**

> malyutka: little one  
> The lines at the end, "Nat thr demons from your past don't mater anymore" and "I'll help you see the light again. I promise" were used with permision from mightymarvl, who used these lines in a post on [tumblr.](http://adorationamy.tumblr.com/post/137759142401/clintasha4evr-mightymarvl-look-guys-i-fixed#_=_)


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